Apparatus for severing metallic material



Dec. 9, 1952 R. F. BREWER 2,621,277

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING METALLIC MATERIAL Filed April 12, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVEINTOR P. F. BREWER ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1952 R. F. BREWER APPARATUS FOR SEVERING METALLIC MATERIAL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 12, 1950 LU 7 7 6 3 i M 2 3 3 2 2 4 5 4 2 5 5 2 $1M" 4w 2 2 5 2 4 a 2 m 2 L- a u H ll 4 1 )Nl/E/V 70/? By M A TTORNEV Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPAitATUS FOR SEVERING METALLIC MATERIAL Application April 12, 1950, Serial No. 155,502

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for severing metallic material, and particularly to apparatus for removing portions of given lengths at staggered positions from parallel wires held together at spaced positions by bead-like lements.

An object of the present invention is an apparatus which is simple in structure and highly efficient in severing metallic material.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in the manufacture of a type or" thermistor which comprises a bead of thermistor material with very fine lead wires embodied therein parallel to each other but extending in opposite directions from the bead. In the mass production of such devices, beads of thermistor material are applied at spaced positions on advancing parallel wires. As an intermediate step of manufacture, it is advantageous to remove alternate sections of each wire to form units of th type mentioned above in a continuous string which may be out into single units after all the processing steps have been completed. Since the wires are usually very fine and closely spaced, the removal of a section of one wire without damaging the other is a difficult operation requiring special quipment.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention comprises apparatus for positioning contacts to engage wires or other metallic materials at selected positions and for passing current through the sect ons of the wires between the contacts to sever them by burning away the heated portions.

In one specific embodiment of the invention magnetic means is provided to bow out the narallel wires so that members of insulating material may be inserted between them to hold the wires firm y against the contacts during the burning operation. The wires are checked electricallv before reachin the burning osition and switches controlling the c rrents for the two wires are o erated alternately to remove alternate sections of each wire.

More specifically, th apparatus is for severing portions from parallel wires connected at spaced positions by bead-like elements, the apparatus including magnetic means to, space the wires from each other whereby dielectric members may be inserted therebetween during the intermittent advancement of the wires longitudinally. Checking units are positioned to engage the portions of the wires between the beadlike elements in advance of the severing of the wires so that at the final position when the sets of electrical contacts are moved into engagement with the portions of the wires and these portions included in electrical circuits with the contacts, they may be burned and thereby severed. The severing units, including the sets of contacts, are under the control of their respective switches which are alternately moved into closed positions whereby portions from the wires will be severed at staggered positions leaving a continuous connection of the bead-like elements through lengths of wire.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of the apparatus illustrating the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram illustrating the electrical circuits of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is directed to Fig. 1 which illustrates only the essential features of the invention. In the present embodiment of the invention, the material to be severed includes parallel wires It connected together at equally spaced positions by beadlike elements I! of thermistor material. The remaining structure of the wires after leaving the apparatus may be wound on a takeup reel (not shown). The apparatus includes a plurality of dielectric elements i2 which may be mounted individually on the links of an endless belt-like chain and constructed so that through spring or other means they are normally urged out ardly to given positions and may be force inwardly by a cam i4 until they are freed to move between the parallel wires iii. At the first position in Fig. 1, means is provided to force the portions of the wires is between the adjacent beads H away from each other. This means includes a permanent magnet having a north pole member l5 and south pole members it spaced from each other upon each side of the path through wh ch th dielectric members it will travel. It will be noted that the elements i 2 have suitable lugs or rollers l8 positioned to engage the under surface of the cam I 4 to be held downwardly until after the wire portions between which the element 12 is to be positioned have been forced outwardly by the effect of the poles l5 and it of the permanent magnet. During the next advancement of the elements i2, the element at the first position held down by the cam 14, is released and allowed to move upwardly into its normal position where its upper portion 20 will extend between the adjacent wire portions. The upper portions of the members l2 are formed so as to readily extend between the wire portions providing recesses 2! which serve as pockets for the bead-like elements H. The means (not shown) for intermittently moving the elements 12 may be considered the means for intermittently moving the wires or material it longitudinally.

Spaced from the ing units 24 having central positive contacts and spaced negative contacts 25 to engage the portions of the wires and complete electrical circuits throu h both indicating units or lamps 2'5 when the wires have been pro erly se arated. If by chance only one of t e units 2 becom s energized, the operator would know that both wires were on that side of the element i 2. The machine would be stopped until the wrongly pcsitioned wire is moved onto the other side of the element. This condition should never exi t, but by this added precaution, for example, both wires will not be severed at the next station. In the units 24 are contacts 28 to complete a circuit through the wires throu h t e aid of the c ossbar contact 28' to create opposing ma netic fields in the wires adjacent the pole p eces 15 and iii to cooperate with the magnetic flux of these ole pieces in urging the wires away from each other. For exam le, the lower wire ill in Fig. 2 connected to the positive side of the battery contains a positive current, flowing toward the contact bar 28', whereas the upper wire I8 is connected to the negative side of the battery and contains a negative current, that is one traveling in the opposite direction whereby the opposing currents create opposing magnetic fields tending to rrove the wires away from each other assisted by the ma netic field pole pieces l5 and IS.

At the next position, severing units 29 and 30 include sets of contacts 31-32, 333 3, 35-456 and 3l-38. These sets of contacts may be moved into engagement with the portions of the wires, but it depends upon the controlling switches of the units as to which portion of the wire will be severed.

Attention is now directed to Fig. 2. In the present illustration, the source of electrical energy is represented by a battery d0. It will be noted that the positive contacts 25 of the checking units 2 are connected to one side of the battery at connection ii while the ne ative con tacts 26 are connectedto the other side of the battery at connections 42 and 63. The units 24 are movable into and out of engagement with the wire portions if so desired by suitable means (not shown). The important factor being that, during the interval of rest, the contacts 25 and 26 of these units engage their respective wire portions so that these wire portions may complete the circuits in which the current may be under the control of a variable resistance es whereby the units may check the positions of the wires in advance of the severing operation. The unit including the sets of contacts 3l32 and e a-es are under the control of a switch it which is operated by suitable means whereby the switch.

will open and close alternately with the advancements of the wires. This means in the present embodiment of the invention includes a cam ll driven by its shaft 48 in synchronism with the members i2 so that during one movement of the elements l2, a high portion 40 will close the of the switch. The contacts 35-36 and 31-43 permanent magnet are check switch whereas during the next movement of the 7 elements I2, a low portion 59 will efiect opening of the unit 39 are under the control of a switch 5! which has a similar actuating means or cam 52 with hi h portions 53 and low portions 54. The cam 52 may be mounted on the shaft 53, but it is so arranged thereon that its low portions will register with the s itch 5! when the high portions 39 of the cam i? registers with the switch Mi and in a like manner, the hi h portions 53 of the cam 52 will operate the switch 5! into closed po ition, when the low portions 59 of the cam 47 efiect opening of the switch 36.

Considering now theoperation of the apparatus, it will be observed that during the intermittent motion of t e members 12. the metallic material or the parallel wires H! with their connectin bead-like ele ents will be advanced intermittently longitudinally. As the portions of the wires come within the field of the magnet, they are forced away from each other as uring proper spacing of the w re port ons for the upper portion 28 of the adiacent element l2 to pass there etween into the nor al position when released bv the cam i i. The contacts 28 of the units 24. as previo s y described, will assist in the se arat on of the wires. Also the contacts 25 and 5 will en age the wire port on between each set of bead-like elements to check the accurate posit on n of t ese port ons. By observing the drawings, it will be noted that during the previous o eration c the apparatus. a portion of a given length of the topmost wire had been severed therefrom. Therefore during the operation of the ap aratus in the present position, the unit 28 will function wh le the unit 39 will remain ineffective. Attention is also directed to Fi 2 illustrating the switch closed for cornpleting a circuit from the battery through the sets of contacts their given order, for exam= ple, through contact 35, the adjacent wire port on and contact 32 and also through contac the adjacent wire portion and contact to the other side of the battery. The electrical energy passing throu h these wire portions between the sets of contacts is sufficiently high to burn the wire, thus severing a portion of a given length from bet een the adjacent beads. During the ne t o erating cycle of the apparatus. the switch 45 will be open and the switch 55 will be closed rendering the unit 359 effective to complete circuits through its sets of contacts 35-33 and 3i-38 to burn the material at the ends of the wire portion which is to be severed therefrom. These operations are repeated resulting in severing portions of given lengths alternately from the wires at staggered positions leaving the beads joined by lengths of single wires which may be severed later at their midpoints and to serve as leads for the individual beads of thermistor material.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What isclaimed is:

1.An apparatus for severing portions from parallel wires connected at spaced positions by bead-like elements, the apparatus comprising magnetic means to force the portions of the wires between the bead-like elements away from each other, sets of electrical contacts positioned to engage the portions of their respective wires and electrical circuits including their respective sets of contacts closed by the said portions of their wires and supplied with electrical energies sufficient to burn the portions of the wires between the contacts in the said sets and thus sever the wires.

2. An apparatus for severing portions from parallel wires connected at spaced positions by bead-like elements, the apparatus comprising magnetic means to force the portions of the wires between the bead-like elements away from each other, dielectric members movable between the spaced wire portions, sets of electrical contacts positioned to engage the portions of their respective Wires, and electrical circuits including their respective sets of contacts closed by the said portions of their wires and supplied with electrical energies sufiicient to burn the portions of the wires between the contacts in the said sets and thus sever the wires.

3. An apparatus for severing portions from parallel Wires connected at spaced positions by bead-like elements, the apparatus comprising magnetic means to force the portions of the wires between the bead-like elements away from each other, dielectric members movable between the spaced wire portions, electrical heating elements to engage and preheat the portions of the wires between the bead-like elements, sets of electrical contacts positioned to engage the portions of their respective wires, and electrical circuits including their respective sets of contacts closed by the said portions of their wires and supplied with electrical energies sufficient to burn the portions of the wires between the contacts in the said sets and thus sever the wires.

4. An apparatus for severing portions from parallel wires connected at spaced positions by bead-like elements, the apparatus comprising a plurality of dielectric members normally movable intermittently in a given path while extending between the respective portions to advance the wires intermittently, magnetic means to force the portions of the wires between the bead-like elements away from each other prior to the dielectric members moving therebetween, means to hold the dielectric members out of the said path until their respective wire portions have been moved away from each other, electrical heating elements to engage and preheat the portions of wires between the bead-like elements, sets of electrical contacts positioned to engage the portions of their respective wires, electrical circuits for the electrical heating elements, and switches for the circuits closed alternately to supply electrical energies suiiicient to burn and thus sever the portions of the wires alternately between the bead-like elements.

ROBERT F. BREWER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,339,417 Pierce May 11, 1920 1,461,228 Schwerin July 10, 1923 1,639,688 Duncan Aug. 23, 1927 2,435,441 Grouse Feb. 3, 1948 

